Promise and Potential are two words that often bring with them as much excitement as they do disappointment, especially in the case of young musicians. So, you can’t blame many of us for holding our breath in anticipation of the full-length debut album from the artist that simply goes by the name Lissie. The twenty something songwriter, originally from Rock Island, Illinois, perked our ears last year with her debut EP Why You Runnin’. And upon the release of Catching A Tiger not only could we exhale but applaud the collection as one of the years truly dynamic debuts.

There is something to be said for artists that spend the early part of their careers living their life on the road, taking the stage every night and developing their sound as Lissie has over the last few years. Catching A Tiger goes beyond introducing Lissie as a songwriter, but establishes a personality. A song like “Cuckoo” not only succeeds as a potential pop hit, but also succeeds as a song of female empowerment. On Catching A Tiger, Lissie establishes herself as a rebellious character with a big voice and a knack for storytelling to top it all off.

As an artist, it’s difficult to peg Lissie in a specific genre. She brings with her a defiance and sense of versatility that is so rare, especially for a young songwriter. She delivers a sentimental offering on the piano-ballad “Bully,” while just a song prior flexes some rock muscle on the haunting “In Sleep.” Even in her live shows, Lissie has tackled cover songs ranging from Lady Gaga to Metallica. That being said, Lissie is establishing herself as an artist with musical dexterity and veteran like confidence.

Promise and Potential are two words that often bring with them as much excitement as they do disappointment, especially in the case of young musicians. So, you can’t blame many of us for holding our breath in anticipation of the full-length debut album from the artist that simply goes by the name Lissie. The twenty something songwriter, originally from Rock Island, Illinois, perked our ears last year with her debut EP Why You Runnin’. And upon the release of Catching A Tiger not only could we exhale but applaud the collection as one of the years truly dynamic debuts.

There is something to be said for artists that spend the early part of their careers living their life on the road, taking the stage every night and developing their sound as Lissie has over the last few years. Catching A Tiger goes beyond introducing Lissie as a songwriter, but establishes a personality. A song like “Cuckoo” not only succeeds as a potential pop hit, but also succeeds as a song of female empowerment. On Catching A Tiger, Lissie establishes herself as a rebellious character with a big voice and a knack for storytelling to top it all off.

As an artist, it’s difficult to peg Lissie in a specific genre. She brings with her a defiance and sense of versatility that is so rare, especially for a young songwriter. She delivers a sentimental offering on the piano-ballad “Bully,” while just a song prior flexes some rock muscle on the haunting “In Sleep.” Even in her live shows, Lissie has tackled cover songs ranging from Lady Gaga to Metallica. That being said, Lissie is establishing herself as an artist with musical dexterity and veteran like confidence.

This Philly-based trio, originally formed while guitarist Tommy Siegel, pianist Ben Thornewill, and drummer Jesse Kristin were in college in Washington, D.C. – is described as whimsical, quirky, energetic indie band featuring melodic pop tunes driven by a sizzling rock momentum.

Jukebox The Ghost has a unique sound, with an eclectic mix of elements from artists Ben Folds, Elvis Costello, Queen, They Might Be Giants, and The Flaming Lips. Their debut album, Let Live and Let Ghosts was described as “a sunny, piano-led explosion of pop exuberance” by the group, and their new album, Everything Under the Sun, has been popularly accepted as catchy and skillfully structured, yet wildly diverse. The band has toured extensively, most notably with Guster and will soon be on tour with The Barenaked Ladies. They played SXSW in the spring, Lollapalloza in Chicago in August, and appeared on David Letterman in early September featuring their song “Schizophrenia.” As their fan base grows and excitement over the recent album release increases, it is easy to guess that this group could be the next big thing in indie rock.

"We’ve been keeping our eyes and ears on Jukebox The Ghost since they debuted a couple years ago."
The band really nailed it on their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and has grown a lot over the last couple years.
~Bruce Warren, Assistant GM of Programming for WXPN

XPN Welcomes Jukebox The Ghost show on December 10th, 2010 at The First Unitarian Church

Be sure to catch Jukebox The Ghost at The Black Cat in D.C. on October 16, in NYC at Beacon Theatre w/Guster on October 29, and The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts w/ Barenaked Ladies on November 12, in Mooristown, NJ.

Singer-songwriter Lissie (Maurus), who was born and raised in the heart of Illinois right beside
the Mississippi River, is readily known for her soulful, blues infused Americana tunes.

The
nature loving, solitude-seeking midwesterner began writing music in high school after picking
up the guitar and quickly began performing in various coffee shops and open mics. Incredibly
her talents spread as far as France after playing regular gigs in Paris. She's toured with
names like Lenny Kravitz, Ray LaMontagne, and Joshua Radin.

Now residing in California, Lissie has been pouring every ounce of love into her musical
productions. Her EP Why You Runnin' was produced by friend Bill Reynolds
(Band of Horses bassist), and introduced listeners to Lissie's ability to paint painstaking
emotion, reflection and maturity. Her full-length debut, Catching a Tiger, is no different.

Though she shifts between upbeat spirited tunes to soft-spoken country, fringes of '60s soul
and subtle pop smarts, her characteristically sweet and rustic billowing seamlessly threads
each track together. Catching a Tiger is strong, bluesy, and sensual. Perhaps BBC Music reviewer Mike Diver said it best--"[Lissie] sounds like one of the greatest female vocalists of a generation, arguably without even really trying."